D40 V9X Fuel primer location

[petey0505]

Hi guys. Am hoping someone can clear up something for me please.
Just purchased a non running 2012 D40 V9X that apparently ran out of fuel. No one has been able to get it restarted. I am told fuel filter and injector pump has been changed. So after reading some threads etc I had a look at it today briefly.
Looks like the guy found the fuel bleeder valve under the engine cover. Some threads talk about a fuel primer bulb as well supposedly behind the LH rear seat.
I have had no luck finding this. Other threads say that the bleeder valve is how you prime these vehicles.
Can someone please clarify if they have a primer bulb in the fuel line as well as the fuel bleeder valve please?
Think I will pressurise the tank, push the fuel thru, utilise the fuel bleeder valve plus crack the injectors to ensure no air in the system.
Any thoughts/help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Old.Tony]

As far as I'm aware, the V9X doesn't have a primer bulb like the 4-cyl diesels, it requires a special pump.

I've attached the Fuel System part of the manual, have a look on p31.

 

[JLA]

It’s not clear in the manual what this hand priming pump looks like, so I have attached a pic. The hand primer is stored behind the passenger seat in a resealable plastic bag,

I have used it a few times after changing fuel filters and each time the vehicle stalls down the road after several klms of running. I then prime it again and no further issues.

Apparently if the engine is cranked for more than 15 seconds between prime attempts then the piezo injectors can overheat and damage permanently. I wonder if that happened to yours before you purchased it?

I am currently experimenting with a 4psi electric fuel pump sucking where the hand primer would attach. Currently waiting on connectors to test. This is an alternative to pressurising the tank as you suggest and more in line with what the hand primer does. Probably no difference in result though. I would avoid cracking the injectors and anything else suchlike. If you simply remove the cap on the end of the line where the hand primer attaches then that should allow the air to escape when you pressurise the tank.

Because Nissan fail to provide complete advice, “replacing the fuel filter” on the STX550’s have cost some owners dearly, ending up in new injectors, fuel pumps etc.
I can see how replacing a fuel filter and having problems could cost $9,000 for a new injector set plus whatever a new fuel pump costs, let’s guess almost as much as the injectors. Replacing the pump was probably not required but seemed to be the next step in the problem solving process at the time.

I am hoping to achieve a guaranteed priming tool using the electric fuel pump so I know where I am.

 

[JLA]

Another comment about the hand primer: Use it vertically. Connect to the engine fitting and point it up from there. The discharge goes up vertically above the bulb. Need to attach a hose or it’s all over the engine. A hose back to the fuel filler let’s you squeeze all day.
The bulb only has a low displacement and is made from stiff plastic that is hard to deform.
If you don’t keep it vertical then it won’t pump. There is a ball valve in there somewhere. It does not have any arrows on it that would be helpful. The service manual also does not tell you to keep it vertical.

 

[Rice]

A tip for those wanting to change fuel filter/s ,
Prime the new fuel filter FIRST. Take a length of clear tube and attach it to the outlet side and keep it higher than the filter, do the same with the inlet side and attach a funnel and keep pouring fuel into the funnel until no bubbles appear in the outlet tube, drain off excess fuel before fitting filter (don't forget the water sensor cable) then (assuming) you have a primer bulb, pump the bulb until there are no bubbles (fuel will drain back when filter is disconnected) then remove clear outlet tube and prime again until bulb will not compress. With an empty filter it can take up to twenty minutes to get fuel through.
To track down primer bulbs search for FRENCH vehicles, the Renault LeGrand has the same engine as the STX-550!

 

[landmannnn]

Fair to say you have all been unknowingly doing it wrong.

This is the bulletin issued to the dealers. If you look at the detail it is not the same as the workshop manual.

I would suggest you print this and put it with the primer or handbook in case you run out of fuel one day.

 

[Fivefivezero]

Fair to say you have all been unknowingly doing it wrong.

This is the bulletin issued to the dealers. If you look at the detail it is not the same as the workshop manual.

I would suggest you print this and put it with the primer or handbook in case you run out of fuel one day.View attachment 37499

These original primer bulbs are provong hard to find.
There appear to be similar ones on ebay without the tube?

Can you advise what size the fitiing is 10mm, 8mm etc?
Thanks

 

[landmannnn]

These original primer bulbs are provong hard to find.
There appear to be similar ones on ebay without the tube?

Can you advise what size the fitiing is 10mm, 8mm etc?
Thanks

7.89. The size is actually stamped on the plastic cap covering the bleed point.



Fairly easy to make one up with a length of clear tube and a generic primer bulb.
You just need to make sure the 7.89 coupling, hose and primer all have the same hose size!

 

[JLA]

I just checked my fuel bleed plug. Ignition off. As soon as I remove it, I can distinctly hear a clug, clug sound. When I either put my finger over the end of the hose or return the plug back again then the gurgle noise immediately stops. Clearly fuel is running back and air entering if the plug does not seal or not fitted correctly.
This means the fuel system relies on that plug properly fitted or air will enter the fuel line.

It’s also a bit of a trap. If the system is bled and the plug not immediately refitted then all that good work is undone and not realised and perhaps a new fuel pump coming.

 

[JLA]

“This is the bulletin issued to the dealers. If you look at the detail it is not the same as the workshop manual.”

I have a couple of queries.
1/ Why must the ignition be on while priming? Is there a fuel solenoid that has to be energised. I thought accident fuel cutoffs stayed off when triggered.

2/ Why can there never be any fuel in the bulb? Perhaps it’s contaminants, unfiltered, being washed from the bulb back into the pump/engine through the bleed point. Or perhaps the bulb material breaks down in time producing contaminants?

I wonder if a conventional low pressure 12v electric pump can be used pumping back to the diesel tank fill point. 20 minutes is a long time with that stiff bulb. Here there is no risk of contaminated fuel entering the engine through the bleed point, it could be setup so any fuel goes directly back to the vehicle’s fuel tank.

3/ Why are dealers issued with a new type of primer tool, what could the issue be with the old primer?

4/ A 15 second rest I can accept. Let’s assume the injectors are fuel cooled and if unprimed, they overheat and become damaged if dry run for over 15 seconds.

 

[JLA]

7.89. The size is actually stamped on the plastic cap covering the bleed point.



Fairly easy to make one up with a length of clear tube and a generic primer bulb.
You just need to make sure the 7.89 coupling, hose and primer all have the same hose size!

Purchased these on eBay. They click on fine but not tested as yet. The hose size just has to match the clear hose you are using. 6mm in this case. I have two types one with an O ring, the other one I am not sure as yet.
While I play around with these connectors, air enters the fuel system on the vehicle until I put the cap back on.
Search eBay for “fuel line quick connectors”.

 

[JLA]

“This is the bulletin issued to the dealers. If you look at the detail it is not the same as the workshop manual.”

I have a couple of queries.
1/ Why must the ignition be on while priming? Is there a fuel solenoid that has to be energised. I thought accident fuel cutoffs stayed off when triggered.

Apparently there is a solenoid valve between the fuel tank and the fuel filter and near the filter. So if the ignition is not turned on while priming, fuel cannot get from the tank and priming cannot happen.

 

[550onTour]

How did you go with these fittings??